William b



Quint Vfaire ige-,tent {fit-2f WILLIAM B. P RTER, 0F PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA.

'Leem- Pazen.: N... 81,682, me September, 1, 186s.

IMPROVED IRON PIER.

l titte clgth'tl nient mit tigen@ dtus what ma mating niet nf the smite.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:`

Be it l/cnown that I, WILLIAM BrPORTER, of Plattsmouth, in the county of Cass, and State of Nebraska, have invented a new' and useful Improvement in Iron Piers; andI do hereby declare that the following is afull, @eleaiyhnd exact description thereof, which ivill enable others skilled in the alt to make and use the same, reference .being had to the accompanying'drawing, forming part of this speciication, in which- I The drawingrepresents a side view of my invention, partly in section.

Similar lettersiof reference-indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new anduseful improvement in iron piers for bridges, &c., Sac.

It consists in constructing the'same in tubular sections, connected together by vvertical screw-rods and tubes, therpiers being illed with concrete, and all arranged substantially as hereinafter fully shown and described.

' The pier is composed of a. shell of cast or rolledl iron, made in sections, A, B, C, the lower section, A,'being of trumpet or bellshape,to form' aproper base, the central section, B, being of equal dimensions transversely throughout itsentre length, and the upper section, C, being of inverted-bell shape, to form a requisite area orl bearing for the superstructure which is to rest upon; it.

' `The lower edge'ofthe upper section, C, lis formed with a recess, a, all around its exterior, and a similar recess, is i-n the exterior surface ofthe 'upperedgeof the' lower section A, the upper and lo'wer edges of the central scction-B ttingiri saidreeesses. Y i

These sections are rkept in close, contact with each other, and are held tightly in place hy'screw-1'ods, D, the louer ends of which pass'through bars, e, underneath the bottomaof the lower section Af I 'lhe rods D pass through tubes, E, which-serve to stfen the piers, and the rods and the piers are lled inwith eoncrete,' F,-which renders the whole firm -and durable. l l

Pic'rsthus Constructed are strong and -firm, without beingbulky, and they maybe made at'a reasonable cost. The tubes are designed to constitute the main strength ofthe piers, the exterior shell giving the necessary v4width of base essentialffor sandy bottoms, the shape being such as to prevent the cement from digging out-the all secured together in the manner ysubstantially as herein shown and described.

sand'r and also to o'er as little resistance as lpossible to' the ilow or course of the current.

If' wrought or rolled .iron be used for the shell, instead of c'a'st iron, the sectiorismay'bc connected together by rivets similar to boilerplates. f y

. Havingthus described my invention, I claim as new, and' desire to secure by Letters Patent- An iron pier, composed cfa series of tubes encompassed or enclosed by a shell filled in with concrete, and

Y WILLIAM B. PORTER. Witnesses E. T. DUKE,` I IAnnY W. SAGr. 

